The Virtual IUE: Culturally Responsive Teaching in Virtual Learning Environments

Erica Hernandez-Scott

The Institute for Urban Education

… is a teacher preparation program in the School of Education at the University of Missouri – Kansas City that was designed to prepare the exemplary teachers for urban schools (Institute for Urban Education [IUE], 2008a).

Culturally Responsive Teaching

… is a pedagogy that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Ladson-Billings, 1994).

The Strands of Culturally Responsive Teaching

• Self-transformation• The Learning Community• Responsive Curriculum• Responsive and Responsible

Pedagogy

Virtual Learning Activities

• Self-transformation– Parent-teacher conferences with and

without cultural competence• The Learning Community

– Teaching with and without a learning community

• Responsive Curriculum– Teaching with and without a multicultural

curriculum• Responsive and Responsible

Pedagogy – Teaching with and without active learning

strategies

Evaluation

• Pre- and Post-Surveys for each activity

Survey ItemStrongly Disagree

Disagree Neutral AgreeStrongly

AgreeCulture impacts home-school relationships. 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:I am aware of how my culture impacts home-school relationships. 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:I understand how my students’ cultures impact home-school relationships. 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:I know how to establish positive home-school relationships. 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Table 1. Self-transformation Survey – Sample Items

References

Institute for Urban Education. (2008a). IUE Information Packet. Kansas City, MO: Author.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.